In Praise of Canadian Contradictions: Making Our Way in a Globalized World

Many of the cultural items that are associated with globalization started out as American cultural products, for example, McDonalds hamburgers, Jeans, Coca-Cola, and Rock-and-Roll. Canada, next-door neighbour to the United States, was the first country to be subjected to this onslaught early in the 20th century, as American cultural and economic influence grew. As a result, Canadians of all ages have grown up taking America's dominance for granted, and this dominance is one of the reasons for the confused and weak sense of identity that Canadians have often felt. This Americanization is now spreading throughout the globe as a driving force of globalization, but in Canada this trend is no longer perceived as negatively--or even as consciously--as in other countries. This author contends that, if globalization is characterized by large-scale population movements, cultural diversity, the Americanization of culture, increasing economic integration, and homogeneity, then Canada is one of the world's most successful integrators. (Contains 1 note.)